This Brewery Made The Best Beer in the Country: Inside Kishwaukee Brewing Co's Brown Ale

<p>How did a brown ale score 97 out of 100 to become the best beer in the country? Plus: learn exactly what its brewer put into it.</p><p>Kishwaukee Brewing Co-Owner and Head Brewer Dan Payson and Co-Owner Cara Payson (marketing, customer service,and self-described “Jill of all trades”) share how a laid-off Seattle architect turned homebrewing into a pro career, thanks in part to a hockey challenge against legendary brewer Skip Madsen. Dan explains what separates a Kolsch from a Pilsner, why a hybrid yeast gives Kestrel Kolsch its citrus-rind finish, and what makes Bufflehead, an American-style brown ale, different from its English cousin. Plus: how Bufflehead went from a single pilot keg to World Beer Cupsilver and a 97-point rating as The Beer Connoisseur&#39;s 2025 Best Beer of the Year, why opening during the pandemic made Kishwaukee a bottles-only brewery, and Cara&#39;s case that “hazy is lazy.”</p><p>0:00 Inside Kishwaukee Brewing in Woodstock, Illinois</p><p>3:20 The Seattle Craft Beer Scene in the Early 2000s</p><p>5:48 Did Beer Bring Dan and Cara Together?</p><p>7:23 Why an Architect Started Homebrewing During the Recession</p><p>10:24 Learning Beer at Bottleworks and Fremont Brewing</p><p>12:08 Dan&#39;s First Homebrew: A West Coast IPA</p><p>13:43 Remember 22-Ounce Bomber Bottles?</p><p>14:39 Deciding to Go Pro (and a Hockey Story Tease)</p><p>17:29 Scoring on Skip Madsen: The Hockey Challenge That Built a Brewery</p><p>22:36 Brian Noonan vs. Brian Noonan: A Blackhawks Mix-Up</p><p>25:40 Beer break</p><p>25:47 Brewer&#39;s Choice: Kestrel Kolsch From a Mug Club Brew Day</p><p>27:47 Kolsch vs Pilsner: What&#39;s the Difference?</p><p>28:10 What Is a Kestrel? The Story Behind the Bird-Themed Beers</p><p>30:17 Why the &quot;Original Six&quot; Beers Don&#39;t Get Names</p><p>33:37 Why Kolsch Has a Citrus Finish (Hybrid Yeast Explained)</p><p>34:43 How a Pilot Beer Earns a Permanent Spot</p><p>35:54 How to Pick a Beer When You Want &quot;Beer-Flavored Beer&quot;</p><p>37:15 Sandhill Lager: A Dry-Hopped Lager</p><p>38:08 Traditional German Pilsner With Soft Bitterness</p><p>38:38 Bufflehead: The Beer Connoisseur&#39;s 2025 Beer of the Year</p><p>39:35 American Brown Ale vs English Brown Ale</p><p>41:20 Why the Hops Hit at the End</p><p>42:04 What &quot;Fully Attenuated&quot; Means and Why Brewers Are Yeast Herders</p><p>43:58 What Sets Bufflehead Apart?</p><p>44:54 From One Pilot Keg to World Beer Cup Silver</p><p>47:08 Rated 97: Learning Bufflehead